The Long and Winding Road
by sheisdifferent
Summary: Harvey and Samantha take a road trip. My take on the upcoming episode.


They were around two hours into their trip home, after showing up to meet with Samantha's birth father. It had gone as well as could be expected. She had gotten the answers she had wanted, even if they weren't necessarily the ones she wanted to hear.

Harvey had let her be, knowing how similar they were, she needed time to process all that had happened today. Family was a complicated issue for people like she and him. It was something they had in common. He had put on a soothing blues playlist, and let the music fill up the silence.

She had been staring out the window, lost in thought, when she turns to look at him. 'I know I've already said it, but thank you Harvey, for coming with me today. I didn't want to do it alone.' She says, with a small smile. He looks at her quickly, before turning his gaze back on the road ahead. 'You're welcome, Samantha. Sometimes we all need a little help, I'm happy that I could do that for you.' He glances at her 'How are you doing with it all?'

She sighs, and shrugs her shoulders. 'I'm okay. I mean, I don't know what I was really expecting. I keep thinking, how would _I _react in his position, having an adult daughter show up out of the blue? I'm lucky he even agreed to speak with me at all' she says with a dry chuckle. Harvey frowns. 'Of course he did, he owed that to you Samantha, it was the very least he could do for you' He says, his tone firm.

She smiles at him. 'Thanks Harvey. I guess it was just tough, seeing him with his family. It makes me wonder you know, could that have been my life too? If he'd decided to keep me? I know it's not that simple, but I never had that. I guess I'm always looking for it, in some way or another, be it with all the foster families I had growing up, or with Robert. Or with you guys.'

She sighs, and shrugs again. 'At least now, I know, right? Why they gave me up. It's something I've been wondering my whole life. I finally have the answers' She finishes, gaze returning to the scenery flashing by out the window. Harvey glances at her again. 'I'm sorry Samantha. That it didn't go the way you thought it would. Sometimes getting answers doesn't make you feel any better, you and I both know that, but you should know, there's more than one kind of family. You have us, at the firm, we are our own kind of family.' He says, smiling at her softly.

She looks back at him. 'I know that. Thanks for saying it, though. I'll be okay. I'm still glad I went, you know? I needed to. I feel like I can finally put it to bed now. I got my answers.' She says, conviction in her voice. Harvey chuckles lowly. She's a strong woman, Samantha. It seems to be his lot in life, to be surrounded by strong women that could kick his ass, should they choose to. He really wouldn't have it any other way. Samantha looks over at him again, a contemplative expression on her face.

'What _did _make you come with me today? And don't tell me it was just guilt, because I'll call bullshit' She says, smirking at him. Harvey laughs. 'Look, it was to a point. I do feel guilty for my part in getting you fired. But it had more to do with me being in a similar situation not too long ago. Granted, we were estranged, not strangers, but I needed a push to go and work it out. I had someone who did that for me. This time, you needed someone to do it for you.' He says.

She's silent for a beat. 'Your mother?' She says quietly. He nods. 'And...Donna was the one who gave you a push?' He nods again. 'She was. She's good at getting me to do things I need to do, even if I don't want to at the time.' He says wryly, smiling at the thought of his girlfriend.

Samantha looks at him curiously. 'You know, I heard rumours about the two of you for years. Some of them funny, some of them not so funny. I never put much credence into common gossip, but it wasn't until I got here and met the two of you, that I saw where those rumours came from. You two, you just seem to orbit around each other. Like you have this secret language made up of looks and smiles, that nobody else knows but the two of you. Even before you were together. It was kind of fascinating to watch' she laughs lightly.

Harvey smirks, feeling a little uncomfortable at her insight. 'We've known each other a long time. She knows me better than anybody, sometimes better than I know myself' He says softly. Samantha laughs. 'I believe that. Why did it take you guys so long to get your shit together?' She asks curiously.

Harvey sighs. 'Donna is...well she's Donna.' He smirks, using his girlfriend's patented catchphrase 'She's always been the most important person in my life, and I've always been terrible at relationships. For a long time, I wasn't willing to risk it. To risk her. Losing her has never been an option for me. If we tried, and it didn't work, I couldn't have handled it. It was easier to keep her in my life as my friend and colleague than try for anything more.' He says, keeping his eyes on the road.

He can feel Samantha watching him. 'So what changed? What made you decide to take the risk?' She asks. Harvey sighs. 'A lot of reasons. I'd been thinking about it, and I couldn't justify hurting her by dismissing what was between us anymore. I knew she was seeing Thomas, and that...it was serious, or at least had the potential to be. Donna has had a few relationships over the years, but he was different. He was a good man, and he could have been good *for* her. I knew that, but I had to take the chance, before it was too late. I knew I could be that for her, that I was _ready _to be that for her. I'm just a lucky she gave me a chance. God knows, I've made enough mistakes with her over the years, she'd have had every right to slam the door in my face when I showed up that night.' He finishes ruefully.

Samantha nods, a smile on her face. 'So that night, you went to her after we talked?' She asks. Harvey nods. 'Yeah. After the day I'd had, what Robert did for me, all I wanted was to see her. When we spoke, and you were talking about who you want to tell your good and bad news to, it just hit me. Donna was that person for me. She always has been, but in that moment, all I could think about was getting to her. Finally telling her how I felt, how I'd always felt. You inadvertently gave me that final push, so thank you Samantha, really.' He says, looking at her, a grateful expression on his face.

She smiles back at him. 'You're welcome, Harvey. I'm glad I could do that for the two of you, inadvertent or not.' She says, smile morphing into a smirk. He laughs. She tilts her head. 'You really love her, huh?' She says, voice soft. He nods. 'I really do. She's it for me, you know? I think I've always known she would be. It's why I ran scared from it for so many years.' He says, shaking his head. 'I was stupid' he finishes derisively.

Samantha laughs. 'I don't know. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. Who knows what might of happened if you'd tried starting a relationship with her before you were ready? These things can't be pushed, they happen when they are meant to.' She says with a shrug. He chuckles. 'You sound like Donna. She's said the same thing to me a couple of times' he says. Samantha smirks again. 'Where do you think I heard it?' Harvey shoots her a look and she laughs. 'What? Girls talk.' Harvey cringes a little at that, wondering what else they've *talked* about. Samantha shakes her head at him with a smile, like she knows what he's thinking. She probably does.

'It's nice you know, you two. Happiness looks good on you. It gives me hope that maybe I'll find something like that one day.' She says, a little wistfully. Harvey looks at her, face softening. 'Samantha if _I _can manage to find the love of my life, you are going to have no problems at all.' She snorts. 'You've got a point there, Specter. There's hope for me yet.' She says lightly. He laughs, and they let a comfortable silence settle over them again, the soft music and steady sound of tyres on pavement carrying them home.

He gets home late, just before midnight, and lets himself in quietly, not wanting to wake Donna. He moves down the hall, into the dimly lit kitchen, and finds her asleep on the couch. He smiles softly, affection bubbling up quickly in his chest. She'd clearly tried waiting up for him, he'd called her a few times today, just to keep her updated, but he knows she'll want to talk to him about it in person.

He pads over to the couch, and bends down in front of her, laying his hand gently on her cheek. 'Hey' He says softly. Her eyes flutter open, and a sleepy smile forms on her lips. 'Hey, you're home' she murmurs. He smiles, loving the fact that she thinks of his place as home. 'I am. You waited up?' He says, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She smiles at him ruefully. 'I tried' she laughs. He smiles at her softly. 'You didn't have to.' He murmurs. She scoffs at him, and sits up, dragging him with her. ' I wanted to. So tell me, how did it go?' She enquires, nestling into his side. He wraps his arm around her, kissing the side of her head.

'It was okay... Even though it didn't go as well as it could have, I think it was good for her to do it, I think she needed to. It was the only way she was going to be able to put that part of her away. I'm glad I was able to be there for her.' He says. She sighs and looks up at him. 'I'm glad you were too. You're a good friend, Harvey. A good man.' She says softly. He tightens his grip on her. 'You've always believed that. I don't know what I did to deserve you, I really don't.' He says, voice tight with emotion. She lifts her head off his shoulder, and looks at him, eyes soft.

'You make me happy, every day. Even when I'm mad or frustrated, you manage to make me laugh, and suddenly everything is okay. What we have, is everything I've ever wanted. That's how you deserve me. I just hope I do the same for you.' She says, brushing a kiss over his jaw. He hooks s finger under her chin, leaning his forehead against hers. 'Always.' He says, leaning down to kiss her, long and slow.

She breaks the kiss after a time, laughing when he tries to chase her lips with his own. 'Slow down Romeo. It's late, and you are exhausted. Let's go to bed.' She murmurs. He shakes his head. 'Not that exhausted' he smirks. She stands and holds out her hand, he takes it instantly. 'Well come on then, take me to bed, and you can show me just how not exhausted you are' she pulls him to his feet, and he follows her, just like he always has. Just like he always will. Forever.


End file.
